Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) was a medieval monk steeped in the mystical tradition of his time. His well-loved work, The Imitation of Christ, is one of Christian history's best known works on spiritual devotion. This small book sidesteps academic pretension to consider larger truths. "A poor peasant who serves God," Thomas wrote, "is better than a proud philosopher who . . . ponders the courses of the stars."